Of course, my cherished one, he murmured and she was incapable of not smiling. She'd smiled so much already today her cheeks had begun to ache and yet she could not have stopped herself even if she had wanted to.

Her parents had warned her that the world held no true Prince Charmings, that even the most chivalrous stallions had flaws and histories they were not always proud of. Looking at Zurok, she couldn't imagine how that could possibly be true. He shone with an inner light that defied the richness of his dark coat, which was clearly a sign that his heart was good. Margarita's parents had tried to warn her that the love stories she heard were only singular facets of a whole relationship, but it had not changed her hope that she would one day find her own storybook romance.

And so she had.

He came closer, brushing against her mane and neck tenderly. She found herself breathless at his proximity, her heart thundering in her chest. She was unused to words as flowery and dramatic as he preferred, but she loved the cadence of them, of the expressions he used. For it is within this very instant that our hearts intertwine, he murmured and her heart skipped a beat in response, her own eyes wide round as she listened.

Did that mean that he loved her? Already? And that he knew that she loved him, too? She paused for half a heartbeat to consider, but knew the answer already. Of course, she did. How could she not love him? Love at first sight had been real in the stories she'd so cherished, so why could it not happen to her?

He moved to nuzzle her again and she reciprocated, fascinated with his masculine scent and the way it made a shiver race through her body. She did not hesitate to follow him when he turned, striding proudly into the land he had claimed for himself, eager to see the parts of the Prairie he so adored.